Harriet the Hamster

Or as I like to torment my mother... the closest you're going to come being a grandma.

Harriet's House, fabulously residing in my bathroom.

My attempt to be a nature photographer gone astray.

She's harder to catch than she looks. Promise.

oh... to be someone's guru

I love the fact the my friends will email me multiple pictures of their finished projects. It makes my day. This is Friend Alison's first scarf. She made this for her sister and has started her new project. Yeah for Alison. So, if you see Friend Alison, give her a pat on the back for her scarf and new job. Good things should come in multiples.

St. Patrick's little bundle

This is little Wyatt Patrick being held by his Grandpa Russ and his oldest brother Brice is looking on. He came on the 16th at 11:48 am, nine months later, to the day, of his Daddy's birthday. Next year Daddy's getting the i-Pod from Mommy, no questions asked. But the rest of the family was happy to meet and greet with the little fellow and to tease his folks. It's a rare day that I can pull my cousin Adam's chain, so this tike could easily be my new favorite. Oh, for the vital stats, 21 inches long, 8 lbs, 3 oz. and pretty darn cute.

In other non-worthy news (it's hard to compare to a new life), here is the knitting update.

My first sock got massive help from my knitting guru Jane at last Knit Wits and I turned the heel and finished the gusset and now I'm working down to the toes. After that, I get to work at the second sock.

Then the baby blanket update.

And I have a new addiction and a little machine has helped me:

It's winding my stash in to little cakes that are ready to knit and all kinds of fun. The winder is left in the picture above. If you need to wind any yarn, just show up and I'll be there to do it for you. I like to enable others habits.

gettin' stuff done Thursday

I decided that progress should be made. I also decided that change was good. This time I decided that radical change was not the way to go (read: last 3 moves, last big, radical haircut, joining Peace Corps), so I bought a hamster instead. She's a Golden Hamster named Harriet the Hamster. She's a cute little bugger and has only escaped once in first 24 hours of me owning her. Which is good, right? I'm also now the owner of a Critter Cage, which looks like a rainbow-vomited, plastic-molded, hamster-sized funhouse of critterdom. Joy.

As for the project updates: The sock isn't turning. I am stuck and I need to see a guru. Pronto. In the meanwhile, I am working on a baby-blanket and hope that it won't take me forever and a day.

Pictures to come.

However, on a completely unrelated topic: Dating, playing cupid and other silly things.

I gave up dating many days ago and for the most part, I'm ok with it. This is mainly to do with the fact that I am a bad dater. Really bad. I say stupid things that really don't orginate from my brain - I swear! and I feel all dorky and I drop things like crazy. That's right, dating makes me clumsier than normal, so please, for the love of God, don't hand me a sharp knife while I'm on a date or my dating partner may have a trip to the emergency room!

With this said, here is the latest in the long string of 'Cupid Moments':

My Cousin Jamie's babysitter has a nephew that she feels needs to date. And then she thought of me and my singleness. So, she gave Cousin Jamie her nephew's MySpace website address and asked that I check it out. I did so. On a black background, a large Anarchist symbol in red is the background for his MySpace. I scroll down and see that he is a big fan of cartoons, Harry Potter and is only 22. That's right. 22. I enjoy younger men, but when the only selling point that Cousin Jamie can point out is that he can legally buy me a drink, it's not much to go on. So Cousin Jamie's babysitter calls me and asks if I have looked at said website and the conversation goes something like this:

Me: "ummm, Cousin Jamie's babysitter, is your nephew an Anarchist?"
Cousin Jamie's babysitter:
Cousin Jamie's babysitter: "ummm.... noooo... He's not an Anarchist. What would make you ask that question?"
Me: "Oh, I looked on his MySpace page and that is what his background picture was and oh, by the way, do you know me? I'm going to be 30 this year and a 22 year-old? What the heck?"
Cousin Jamie's babysitter: "That's why he was laughing when he overheard me giving away his MySpace page address.... wellll.... he's 22 and a bit of a nut and doesn't really go out much and never has had a girlfriend and he should get out more and meet more people and so I thought of you."
Me:

And this is one of many reasons why I appreciate it when people don't fix me up.

lazy Sunday

I'm seeing a trend here. I'm not all sure that it is a good trend.

Sock update! There is a heel, but haven't figured out 'turn'.

Also, I have been knitting gifts this week. One will have to be posted at a later date, but these can go on right now, especially since they are 8 and 10 and can't view anything on the web without their Mommy's permission.

The dark purple/blue is Hope's and the cotton candy blue is Shelby Lou's.

Isn't it just great that my biggest, fattiest needles match the scarf? And with these two scarves almost completed, that just makes two more I have to do and I might just call it a season. And just in time for Spring. Isn't it just fitting? Oh, well, they will have to be saved and worn next year.

When good gauge goes bad.

I was swatching a new yarn that is super cute and cuddly for a baby blanky (I know 5 pregnant girls, beware of the water!) and found out that it won't work for the intended project, so back to the yarn store I go. glitch. The one skein I have broken out will go for something else, but the others will make their home back at the store. I love you yarn, but not enough to store you until 'the project' comes across my purview.

So, just in case you were wondering what I do since I don't have a TV babysitter, this is it. And I also am reading trashy novels. I'm not a proud trashy novel reader, more along the lines of a 'Oh, please don't ask me what I'm reading', ashamed trashy novel reader. I need to read something a touch more enlightening or the trash will rot my brain.

Oh, and for the folks who have offered up their old TVs or rarely used ones, thank you. I appreciate the offer. I really do. But I'm not going back to my daily TV induced coma. I do cheat and go to Mom and Dad's house and watch all the shows that they Tivo for me (CSI (Vegas and NYC) and The Closer and the occasional Knitty Gritty) and do my laundry, but then it's back to no-TVland for me. I get more accomplished, my house stays somewhat cleaner and I return more calls. I think that this is a bonus for me and I might have to keep doing without.

lazy Saturday

So, today I didn't get out of bed until 11 and at this time (3:45 pm) I am still in my jammies and slippers and haven't quite accomplished anything except for washing dishes. I have been working on my sock instead of studying for the GMAT and it looks super-cool.

Super cool sock!

Other than that, life has been uber slow, what with the snow and all. Next week, I am hoping for Excitement! or at least a good story to tell. Or better yet, kind reader, send me a story and I will gladly listen with ooohs and ahhhhs. Promise.

Back to the sock. Isn't it cool?

it's official

It's a blizzard. And below zero. And bou-que of snow to boot. I formally issue a protest. All of Hardin Co is under a some or other 3. This means if they catch you driving without a valid reason (like going to the hospital with a woman who is about to give birth), they will fine you and probably send you home. I'm stuck in my apartment with supplies, you know, yarn, needles and good stuff like that. I have a ton of bread and bagels and plenty of milk, so you know that I am all set.

This past Sunday, I went to a Senior Recital for Amy L, who was a former Rainbow Girl with me. It was amazing to see her all grown up and performing so beautifully! She did not sing a single off note the entire performance and was singing in English, German and Italian (if I remember right). How impressive. I'll definately have to get back in touch with her and find out what has been going on since the last I saw her (summer '02, I think).

Stay warm and start your home projects that you've been putting off since forever. I know that I will think about it.

and now everything is back to normal

Or at least, normal as it ever gets! I have a shower that works, I'm much cleaner and I have new pictures. Life is getting better. I even snow blowed (is this an actual term or did I just make it up?) Mom and Dad's drive this morning, so I even got my good deed in for today, to boot.

As for the pictures, one is my office mate Jilli. She can be demanding at times, but is cute enough that I over look it.

View from my desk

So, last weekend, Friend Alison came up to visit and see the Bullriding that the family insurance business is co-sponsering. I thought that I would ball up and freeze right then and there! It was in the single digits, if that, and with the wind blowing, is was in the negative. Jason F said that it was heated this year, so I did not dress in layers. Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was just wearing my Converse low-tops with just one pair of socks. I believe that I am lucky to say that I have all 10 toes and both feet attached, but just barely! We arrived an hour before the riding started to get a good seat. I also brought my knitting along with me, since I knew that I would be an hour in waiting. My Aunt Lisa gave me crap about it, but then turns around and puts an order in for a scarf. Good Grief!

So, finally to the hot cowboy.... er, exciting bullriding part. These guys looked like puppies! I don't know if any of them could legally buy me a drink, but they were up there on top of these massive bulls, riding them for all they were worth. I don't know if I could ever let my kid do something that dangerous, but then these kids were probably over 18. Maybe. Any who, here is the only good-ish picture I got.

Some mama let her baby to grow up to be a cowboy

You know you live in the country when this is a good time had by all. Yee-haw.

i put on my big girl panties

and dealt with it.

Here's the thing with being an adult.... if something is broke, you are expected to fix it. This is fine, if perchance, it's a nail or a run in hose or even if your bra had a breakdown... I know how to deal with this. However, frozen pipes, mechanical things, cars and things of that ilk are waaaay beyond my fix-it ability. With this said, feel free to laugh at me during this next part.

This evening, I decided to take a shower. What a nice, lovely way to warm up after all this bitter cold, I thought to myself. So, I dig out new, fresh jammies, fresh towel, find my slippers and mosey to the bathroom. For those who have not seen this gem a bathroom, let me explain the setup. My bathroom is actually two rooms. There is no door on the outer room that contains the sink, a ventless heater (which makes my butt happy on a regular basis) and a cabinet and plenty of floorspace to set up my little clothes rack to dry stuff that will shrink in the dryer. Then there is another door to the left of the sink that is a closet where my toilet and shower (stand-up, sans tub, no wider than the law allows) reside. This water closet is actually over the back staircase up to my flat, which always makes me pause the ramifications of the floor failing just after I step gingerly into the shower. Onwards... So, this evening, I turn the heater on the highest setting, put down my jammies, turn on the shower and strip down to toast my rear in front of the heater and make it uber happy. Then I hear water on water and not water on vinyl. "Hmmmm..." I think to myself, "I don't think that sounds quite right." I go in to check out the shower and realize that there is an inch of water at the bottom of my shower that has a 3 inch lip. So I shut off the water and realize that 1)I was in deep sh*t, 2) I wasn't going to be warm, 3) I didn't want to deal with this, 4) I was unprepared to deal with a frozen drain. I really wanted a handy boyfriend at that exact minute. So I had to call Laura 1 and tell her my story in all my nakedness. After all, what else would a naked, unhandy girl do at that time? Laura 1 said that I needed to deal with this and I had to agree to put my panties back on and call my landlady who would have to have the deciding vote on what to do (what with her owning it and all). She seemed a bit flumoxed and thus I said that I would sponge all the acumalated water out of the shower while she chatted with a real fix-it-guy.

News flash, at 9:00 my landlady is coming over the sidewalk salt and is going to put it down the shower drain. I will be waiting for her with my pink sweatpants, orange long sleeve shirt and dark blue fleece cardigan on and my greasy hair pulled back. hmmmm.... sexy. I know how to win and attract friends. yeah.

it was soooo cold....

...I almost considered marriage. This is truly the single girls issue... no one to put their cold feet on while in bed in the dead of winter. I hate winter and all the crap (read: snow, ice, brisk winds) that comes with it. I now have to take my inflate-a-bed into the living room to sleep, since my bedroom is so cold. This is ridiculous! I firmly protest winter!!! grrr...

Did I mention that I have been giving quite a few speeches as of late? I spoke at a Mother's Club and the at the Professional Business Women's organization. If this keeps up, I will be on a speaking circuit or some crazy thing.

But, now for the super-exciting things in my life.... my knitting. I just started working with a new yarn that is bobbly and leaf green (so it has a few hues of green) and it looks lacy with just a stockinette stitch. Easy work, looks harder than it is, equals a lovely satisified feeling of contentment. ahhh.... This is such a cute yarn, that I think that I might try expanding to make a shawl with it. I'll have to see if I can make the gage to fit and give it a whirl.